Transcript Poplar Tree Farming - Western Hardwood Association

Western Hardwood Association
Symposium III
October 7, 2003
The Future of Hardwood Tree Farming
Key Topics Covered
• General Outlook for Hardwood Tree Farming
•Poplar Tree Farming
•Red Alder Tree Farming
•International Developments
Outlook for Hardwood Tree Farming
Forecast of Non- Conifer Tim ber Supply
by Forest Type
1200
3 fold increase over the
next 30 years
1000
800
600
S/M Plantations
Natural Timber
400
200
0
1997
2010
2020
Millions cubic meters/year
2030
Source: The Global Timber
Supply/Demand to 2030 (1998)
Poplar Tree Farming
•History
•Acreage developed in the region
•Poplar tree farm silvicultural activities
•Poplar tree farm production
•Markets
•Future
History
•Originally envisioned as an energy crop during petroleum
crisis of the 1970s
•DOE provided much of the early research on genetics and
silicultural activities
•First commercialized by the pulp and paper industry in the
early to mid-1980s as opportunity to moderate the
fluctuations in fiber pricing
Acreage Developed in the Region
Norseka Canada~8,000 acres
Sandpiper Tree Farm ~3,000 acres
Columbia Tree Farm ~6,000 acres
Boise ~18,000 acres
Potlatch ~17,000 acres
Landowner Assistance Programs ~ 3,000 acres
Poplar Tree Farm Silvicultural Activities
•Site selection and preparation is critical to successful establishment
•Plant material selection and diversity required
•Spacing: originally designed for 600 to 700 trees per acre with a
rotation of 6 to 8 years targeting the chip markets; alternative focus is on
300 to 400 trees per acre with 10 to 15 year rotation for the solid wood
markets
•Intensive crop care activities for weed control and pest control required
•Important to ensure adequate water availability and drainage
•New markets have led to new management regimes involving thinning
and pruning
•New harvesting techniques
Poplar Tree Farm Production
•Tree improvement – 20 years of
history in tree improvement; expansion
into new hybrid pedigrees; focus on
yield enhancement, pest resistance, and
climatic adaptability (resistance to
cold, windthrow, etc.); improvement in
wood quality targeting specific
markets
Growth and Yield of Tree Species
Hybrid Poplar - Eastside
Hybrid Poplar - Westside
500
400
Loblolly Pine
300
Douglas Fir
3
/ Acre per Year
600
Feet
•Growth and yield – current hybrid
clones have resulted in yield increases
of over 50% from the native stands
managed in tree farms; new clones are
targeting 10 to 15% yield improvement
200
100
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Rotation Length, Years
35
40
45
50
55
Markets
•Chips for pulp and paper
•Solid wood lumber for cabinetry,
furniture, window coverings,
moulding and millwork, doors
•Log home construction material
•Veneer for plywood (core and
possible face grade applications)
•Engineered wood products (OSB
and LVL)
•Poplar characteristics is similar to
other species and has opportunity
in both hardwood and softwood
markets
Future outlook
•Continue to foster and build the market awareness for solid
wood applications and understanding the customers needs
•Continue improvements to plant material through nature
breeding techniques for various markets
•New wood treatment techniques
•Continue to reduce production costs through new clones,
new innovative intensive management techniques, and
harvesting approaches
•Conversion efficiencies at the mill level
•Certification will be more important and effect future
decisions around tree farming approaches
Future outlook (cont.)
• New sources of investment capital through timber investment funds
will help create expansion for poplar tree farming
•Companies looking to secure long-term sustainable supply of wood for
core business are looking at these types of tree farms
•Energy sector is expanding into green energy developments and are
looking at closed-looped biomass projects more closely
•Potential for farmer based partnerships to help farmers in their crop
diversification strategy and overall land management approaches will
lead to expansion opportunities
•Growth in environmental applications
Red Alder Tree Farming
•History
•Current Situation
•Future outlook
History
•Decades of burning, spraying, and considering a weed tree
•Little or no replanting after harvesting due to focus of
regeneration of natural stands to Douglas fir tree farms.
•Strong markets developed for red alder in the application of
cabinets, fine furniture, millwork, etc.
•Highly desired by the pulp and paper industry
•Key to a healthy watershed through proper riparian zone
management
Current situation
•Question of reliability of long-term native alder supply due to
lack of re-planting, uncertainty in chip export market, and effects
of new riparian management laws
•Increase awareness in optimizing the management of native
alder stands (Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative)
•Increase awareness on plantation establishment and economics
•Markets well established
Future outlook
•Increasing cost effectiveness in alder production through
better understanding stand management techniques related to
growth and yield
•Exploring the potential for high yield alder tree farming
through intensive silvicultural techniques similar to poplar tree
farming (breeding strategies, propagation strategies, weed
control, etc. )
•Potential move towards replanting of red alder in previous
sites converted to Douglas fir tree farms
•Move towards land management decisions that lead to
planting the right tree at the right site
•New sources of capital
International Developments
•There are unique opportunities and developments
surrounding hardwood tree farming in China and Chile (poplar
tree farming)
China
•Central government support for high yield/fast growing tree
farming
•The Chinese Government has committed to reforesting 12%
of China’s landmass. More than 33 million acres of land are
scheduled to move into afforestation programs and up to 40%
of this area is likely to be planted with hybrid poplar that is
suited for the temperate zone
•Much of this focus is to address China’s balance their current
importing of wood for domestic consumption, especially in the
pulp and paper industry
Chile
•Move away from radiata pine monoculture in the south and
central region of Chile.
•Looking for diversification in their tree species and are
exploring poplar as a third tree crop after eucalypts and radiata
pine
•Current holdings estimated around 7,000 to 10,000 acres of
poplar
•Government support for testing of new clones and developing
a marketing strategy
Summary
•There is a growing interest in hardwoods and hardwood tree farming in the
Pacific Northwest that rivals hardwood tree farming anywhere in North
America
•Significant opportunity to expand hardwood tree farming strategies in both
poplar and red alder and will be lead through continue improvements in
planting stock and growth and yield, innovative land management
approaches, new techniques in silvicultural management, improvements in
harvesting and product conversion, expansion of market niches, and sources
of new capital